OK, here're the simplified instructions for installing & using GTAK, which IIRC I posted in a thread in ecomstation.support.misc about five years ago.
You need two software packages from Hobbes (or wherever): GTAK258 (the tape drivers & utilities) and GTAR258 (the backup program).
Note that GTAR258 is a customized version of TAR which has the necessary hooks to work with GTAK; unfortunately Paul S.'s later ports do not include this support. You will probably need to rename the included tar.exe to "gtar.exe" or something like that, to avoid conflicting with the more recent tar executable if you have it installed.
Note that the following instructions are mainly for local backups of the same system which has the tape drive. It's also possible to do backups over the network, using NetBIOS or NetBIOS over TCP/IP (I used to use the former); the extra steps are pretty simple and are briefly mentioned below.
Installation1. Unzip the files from GTAK258.ZIP.
2. Place the executables on the PATH, and the DLLs on the LIBPATH, and optionally copy GTAK.INF to somewhere on the BOOKSHELF.
3. Put the device driver ASPITAPE.SYS in some suitable directory, then edit CONFIG.SYS and add the following lines:
BASEDEV=OS2ASPI.DMD
DEVICE=path\ASPITAPE.SYS
SET TAPE=SCSI:+TAPE$4 4. Reboot.
5. Issue the command
tape inq to verify that the tape drive is detected correctly.
Backing Up Over the Network (NetBIOS)Note that this requires that NetBIOS (NETBEUI) be installed and working on both the client and the server.
On the server (the system which has the physical tape drive attached), edit or create STARTUP.CMD and add the line:
DETACH NETBSERV.EXE 0:TAPEDRIVE TAPE$4 >NETBSERV.LOG On the client (the different system which you want to back up), repeat steps (1) and (2) from up above.
Then edit CONFIG.SYS and add the line:
TAPE=NETB:+TAPEDRIVEReboot the client and issue the command
tape inq to verify that the remote tape drive is accessible.
Commands for Running a BackupYou should now be able to run tape backups (on either the client or the server) using
tar.exe from GTAR258.ZIP. (As I said, you will probably want to rename this program to
gtar.exe or something similar.)
To make sure a tape is inserted and ready:
tape status(In my experience, you must always do this before starting any other operation. The first time after rebooting you will get the message 'unit attention'. The second time, you will get 'ready', which means you are ready to go.)
To back up a partition, e.g.:
tar -c -E -p --posix -X D:/exclude.lst C:/ 2>&1 >D:\logs\back_c.logbacks up drive C: excluding files listed in D:\EXCLUDE.LST, and redirects the output to a log file.
You may also want to add the -D option (see GTAR.INF) to generate a QFA (index) file which supposedly makes single-file restores much faster. I've never used this, however.
The tar utility originated on Unix, so remember:
- Always use '/' in place of '\' (before the > redirection, that is).
- tar treats filenames case-sensitively, even though OS/2 doesn't! So use whatever case the 'dir' command shows for a filename.
- Do NOT append '*' to the path if you are specify a root directory (i.e. an entire partition) to back up.
To eject a tape:
tape unl To rewind a tape:
tape rewind To erase a tape (quick erase):
tape erasequTo erase a tape (full erase):
tape erase(Quick is usually sufficient.)
To move the tape head from one backup (on the tape) to another:
tape file [n] moves
n backup(s) forward
tape file -[n] moves n backup(s) backwards, if the device supports it.
To restore a partition is presumably (never actually had to do it):
tar -x -E -p restores files to the current directory.
But make sure the tape head is currently sitting on the correct backup on the tape! Use 'tape file [
n]' syntax to move back and forth (as above).
A single file restore (had to do this a couple of times) is, e.g.:
tar -x -E -p OS2\OS2.INI (extracts OS2.INI from the tape).